Caged Doves
by Foreveralways101
Summary: Living in a war torn world and being the daughter of a clan leader, Kushina knew her duty as a kunoichi must always come first. She was prepared to sacrifice anything for the sake of her clan; even her heart. That all changed, however, when she met a powerful young shinobi with golden hair and eyes bluer than the whirlpools surrounding her home. Warring States Era AU. MinaKushi.
1. Under Lock & Key

**Hello fellow Naruto fans :)it's been a while since I've posted in the Naruto archive (still gotta update my SasuSaku story). I've had this idea in my head for weeks now and it demanded to be typed up. I'm a huge fan of the Warring States era of Naruto. I'm an absolute history nerd. And the way Hashirama and Madara's lives were portray** **ed in pre-Konoha was fascinating.**

 **I'm also a die hard MinaKushi fan. For me, they were th** **e best ship in the entire manga (rivaled only by my love for SasuSaku), and the way they loved each other and died together was painfully beautiful. I've always wanted to read an AU where they lived in the warring states era, and since I didn't find any, I decided to try my hand at it :)**

 **I'm not terribly exper** **ienced with their characters, so please be lenient. They may be a little ooc from time to time, but please remember this is an AU. Minato will still be a powerful and calm ninja with strong ideals. We don't really know if the Namikaze were a prominent clan or not, but this is the era of warring clans. So for the sake of the story and his connection to the Uzumaki, I'm going to make Minato a Senju. He's going to be basically a cousin of Hashirama and Tobirama.**

 **Kushina is still of course an Uzumaki only here she will be the daughter of the Uzumaki clan leader. She is not a Jinchuriki, considering the setting of the story. She is also related to Mito Uzumaki (Hashirama's wife), rather than being mentored by her like in the manga. Kushina will still be the fierce spitfire we know and love.**

The **characters from the warring states will appear including Madara. Also I don't exactly _know h_** **ow long the story will be, but if there's anything you guys would like to see in it later on feel free to let me know :)**

 **Ok moving on to the story**.

 ** _Disclaimer:_ I don't own Naruto. That honor belongs to Kishimoto.**

* * *

Dark violet eyes stared out the glass pane window. The rain clouds were forming and it seemed quite a storm was headed towards the village. This would be the third storm this week. It was already gloomy outside and the air, even inside the compound, was dense and smelled musky.

 _Seems to_ _match my mood_ , thought the young woman to herself bitterly.

Kushina wrapped the blanket more securely around herself, attempting to shield herself from the cold draft that seemed to make it passed the warmth being given by the crackling fire in the nearby hearth.

Even though winter was slowly melting into spring, there was still a cold chill late at night and in the early morning on the island of Uzushiogakure. The ocean breeze brought in the coldness from the mainland and the constant storms did nothing more than add to the dreary atmosphere of a never ending winter. Even if it could never snow on the island, the constant bitter cold and downpours were more than enough.

Kushina turned her attention away from the gloom of the weather. She didn't want spring to come, no matter how much she hated the cold. If spring came, that meant summer would come just as quickly, and then the autumn. And once autumn rolled and went by just as fast and the new year came, that meant that life as she knew it would end.

The young Uzumaki was not just any Uzumaki; she was the second daughter and youngest child of the clan head, Lord Jiro Uzumaki. And as such, she was a kunoichi of important status and connections. And while she was also well known for her incredible chakra reserves, as well as her impressive stamina in battle, none of that mattered in determining her future.

Lord Jiro would do with her as he had done with his eldest daughter, and as all clan heads and nobles did with their daughters in this world of war and power; marry her off in order to gain alliances and connections that would benefit their clan. Daughters to them were mere political opportunities.

The red head closed her eyes, willing the tears away. She knew she had to be strong. Her older sister, Mito, had also had her marriage arranged by their father to the leader of a powerful clan and was to be wed this summer.

Kushina admired her sister greatly; Mito did not cry, pout nor show any emotion when she'd been informed of her upcoming nuptials. Instead, she had gracefully bowed to their father like a true kunoichi and said she would do whatever was best for their clan. And that was the reason Mito was Jiro's favorite child.

Whereas when he'd informed his youngest daughter of her arrangement with a rich lord from the mainland, she'd instantly lashed out in anger and screaming at him how he could put her through that.

Although the conversation was more than four months ago, she still remembered it like it was yesterday.

Kushina had been sitting in the court yard with her mother and sister for some tea and "bonding time" as Mother called it.

They were dressed in the finest silk kimonos and sitting under an umbrella as their mother's handmaiden served them their afternoon tea and biscuits. It was a crisp clear afternoon with a slight December chill.

The youngest red head was extremely bored. This tea every afternoon at the same time was a mundane activity and all with pointless small talk or occasional gossip Mother had about some prominent lady in the village.

Kushina was itching to go back to training. Her sister had been training her with more complicated seals for fuinjutsu and Kushina much preferred learning the sealing arts than wearing tight kimonos and sipping tea all day like her mother.

Mito and Kushina were trained kunoichis and had fought quite a few times in the past to ward off intruders on the island; Jiro had claimed that although he was not fortunate enough to have any sons, he would make sure his daughters were well trained and would reach their potential in order to defend the village if the need ever arised.

Along the way of their training, Jiro had quickly realized his girls were prodigies, each in their own right. Mito was a master at fuinjutsu; in fact, she was renowned as the greatest fuinjutsu specialist the Uzumaki clan had seen in generations. She was also a skilled hand to hand combatant and was a force to be reckoned with when it came to close range fighting. She had once taken down over twenty Sarutobi shinobi when they'd attempted to take over the island a few years back.

Kushina, while not as skilled at fuinjutsu, was also renowned. They had discovered early on in the girls' training that Kushina had the largest charka stores in the entire clan. That coupled with amazing stamina, she was a warrior that could last for hours in battle. Her fiery attitude and rebellious nature towards tradition and proper etiquette prompted the other young people of her generation to dub her as the "Red Hot Habanero" of Uzu.

Anyway, Kushina was bored and wanted to get back to learning the seals. But instead she was forced to endure another two hours of her mother's rambling.

Midori Uzumaki was the Uzumaki matriarch, wife of Jiro and mother of Mito and Kushina. She was a tall and elegant woman, with beautiful alabaster skin, deep red hair that fell to her shoulders and deep violet eyes, the same ones Kushina had inherited. Midori had no wrinkles, despite being in her late forties. Her Uzumaki genes kept her looking youthful but with a look of experience.

Kushina was the spitting image of her mother. But their similarities ended there. Her fiery spirit was from her father.

Mito, who looked more like Father with her lighter red shade of hair, serious demeanor and piercing green eyes. The older sister had their mother's quiet and graceful nature. Although Mito also shared their father's fighting spirit.

In this sense, Midori was vastly different from her daughters. She was a prim, proper woman who'd never been in combat. She was trained in fuinjutsu and how to manipulate chakra, but nothing more. She had been born as the only daughter of a rich noble on the island; her upbringing had been mostly to marry her off to the clan heir at the time, Jiro. Although Midori had never agreed with Jiro's extensive training of their daughters and sending them into battle, she knew better than to defy her husband's wishes.

* * *

Kushina found herself dozing off at Midori's retelling of some affair an Uzumaki noblemen had with his wife's handmaiden.

"I never thought Arata-sama would be capable of such a scandal!" the older woman exclaimed as she sipped at her ceramic tea cup gingerly. "He always seemed like such a proper man. I can't imagine how his poor wife must feel. To do such a thing and with a handmaiden no less!"

Mito gracefully sat up straight as she pretended to care about her mother's gossip. She had more training in masking her enotions and did so to not hurt her mother's feelings. Looking to the side, however, she couldn't say the same about her younger sister. Kushina has her head resting on her palm, her eyes glossy and eye lids drooping as if threatening to shut at any moment.

"Yes Mother, it's a terrible thing indeed. What are the ladies in town saying on it?" questioned Mito with feigned interest, while reaching under the table slapping her sister's knee in order to wake her. They didn't need another lecture from their mother about paying attention for the third time in the month thanks to Kushina always falling asleep during tea time.

"Well, they are as shocked as I am!" the mother said, lifting her tea cup and having a servant come at once to refill it to the brim with her favorite jasmine tea.

Kushina was startled awake and looked at her mother, who was too distracted going on and on about the gossip to notice her small slip up. She turned her head in her sister's direction, who had a playful smirk on her pretty face with a raised eye brow that said, "You owe me, again."

The younger sister flashed the older a smile of gratitude before sipping from her cup.

A moment later, the women heard Jiro's strong voice calling them into the house, a subtle amount of satisfaction in it.

"Kushina, Mito, Midori, come in at once! I have a good bit of news to share with you three."

Puzzled by the sudden summoning, the three Uzumaki women abandoned their tea cups to be cleaned up by the servants and rushed into the main house of the compound. There, they saw the clan head sitting crossed legged on a tatami mat at the low hanging table of the main dining room.

Jiro was a ruggedly handsome man, his long red hair that had some gray streaks in it tied in a low pony tail and his sharp features were long, with a mustache and a short beard. His piercing green eyes looked tired but content. While he was not an overly expressive man, he did allow his family to read emotions in his eyes.

Instead of his standard battle armor, Jiro was wearing a fine tunic and silk pants instead of standard shinobi pants. It seemed as if he'd just come back from an important meeting.

The three women greeted him properly and sat down, awaiting his announcement.

"Welcome, my darlings," Jiro greeted warmly, obviously in a good mood. "I apologize for interrupting your afternoon. However, I have a very important announcement to make. As you know, I met today with Lord Kazuko Ota, a prominent lord from the nearby mainland. In case you were not already aware, my daughters, his lands are rich in steel and gold, as well as other resources that could greatly benefit our village and help upgrade the protection of it, as well as the quality of our weapons and armor. I went to discuss an alliance with him and his people. We would teach his people some seals that would make production of his mining more effective as well as offer our protection should his lands ever be attacked by rogues. In return, he would supply us with his resources and allow us access to imports of it. He drove a hard bargain, as he is very protective of his goods. But we were able to strike a deal." He finished with a small smile.

Midori told her husband what a wonderful diplomat he was, Mito simply smiled proudly at her father, while Kushina stood up, rejoicing.

"That's awesome, Dad, ya know! We need to better protect the village and our people, dattebane!" she yelled triumphantly.

Mito hid an amused smile while Midori scowled. "Kushina, do not speak out of turn! Your father has not finished. I taught you better than to make a fool of yourself, especially when a man is speaking! Apologize to your father at once!"

A little embarrassed but overall irritated at her mother, Kushina sat down and respectfully bowed her head to the head of the household. "My apologies, Father."

Jiro sighed. He was used to his youngest daughter's outbursts. "Rise, daughter. its alright. Simply wait for me to finish, then you may speak."

The young Uzumaki nodded, though with a small frown. She felt a comforting hand on hers under the table and looked to her right where Mito gave her a meaningful look and a light comforting squeeze.

Kushina smiled inwardly. Whenever she was yelled at or called an embarrassment, Mito was always there to soothe her worries and reassure her. Mito was a mother to her in ways Midori never was. She gave a light squeeze back as they listened to their father continue.

The father cleared his throat.

"As I was saying," Jiro continued. "We were able to reach a deal for an alliance that would benefit both of our respective villages. Kazuko-sama will supply us with the listed resources, sending it here on a ship once a month. We will also have access to the mines and his crop fields whenever we are in need. In return, our army will be at his disposal should his village ever be attacked. Also, our best sealing experts will teach his miners some effective sealing techniques to aid them in carrying their large loads. Mito, I expect you will aid them," he turned his attention to his eldest daughter, who merely nodded. He gave a curt nod of thanks before turning his attention back to the three women. "However, considering the world we live in, we needed a way to ensure that our sealing techniques will not be sold out to enemy clans of the mainland, and Kazuko-sama needed a form of reassurance that we will not betray his trust and ransack his mines, nor leave his village vulnerable. We reached another agreement, one that will instill the loyalty of both sides to this contract and one that will secure a long and lasting alliance between our people."

"What agreement?" questioned Midori, although she could already sense where her husband was heading with his line of wording.

Mito seemed to catch on as well, as she directed a worry filled look at Kushina, who seemed to not understand just yet.

The clan head smiled a little as he looked directly at his youngest daughter, satisfaction and even a little pride coloring his tone as he spoke. "As we reached an agreement to truly cement the alliance, we needed something lasting. That's when Lord Kazuko mentioned that his only son, Daisuke-san, was of marrying age. He informed me that he was searching for a suitable bride for his son, one that would be of some noble blood and status, as well as of a noble clan. He asked of Mito, and he was disappointed when I informed him that my eldest was already betrothed to the head of the Senju clan. However, I then mentioned that you, Kushina, my youngest daughter, was still unmarried, not yet promised to anyone, and of age as well."

Kushina's eyes widened and she felt her heart drop into her stomach. Nothing seemed to pull her back to reality now that she knew where her father was going with this, not even the second squeeze Mito gave her hand under the table.

Oblivious to his daughter's struggle, Jiro contently continued, stroking his beard with his right hand. "This arrangement worked to our mutual advantage, my darling daughter. Our agreement will continue for years to come, and the permanent alliance will be cemented by your marriage to Daisuke-san in a year's time. He is your age and I saw a portrait of him, Kushina, he is a handsome young man with a good social standing-"

Kushina could not bear to listen to another word. She ripped her hand from Mito's and quickly jumped to her feet, bearing her teeth as she glared at her father with disdain, anger, shock, and sadness.

Everyone was caught off guard by this and silently watched the youngest member of the family with surprise.

Kushina balled her hands into fists and yelled. "You arranged me to marry a lord's son?! A man I've never even met? How could you! I do not wish to be tied down to a lord' son who will restrict me for the rest of my life, dattebane! I am an Uzumaki kunoichi. My duty is to protect my village, not play doll for some spoiled noble's son who does not even appreciate-"

A painful slap across the face cut Kushina's fury fueled rant short as she stumbled back in surprise and did not fall to the ground only thanks to her quick reflexes, balancing herself back on her feet.

Kushina touched her throbbing cheek, now feeling tears come to her eyes as she looked at the culprit. Her father stood there, his hand still in the air, his strong chest heaving with impatience and anger as he eyed her with disdain.

"Why-"

"I've had enough of your childish behavior, Kushina! I've tolerated it for years because I love you and my are my child. However, I will not allow you to disrespect Lord Kazuko or his son. Nor will I allow you to question my authority as clan leader and your father! In a year's time, you will be wed to Daisuke-san for the good of this clan. I had considered speaking with Kazuko-sama about a courtship so you may become more comfortable with your betrothed, but you've tried my patience for the last time. As a part of your punishment, you will meet your betrothed a month before the marriage is to take place. Not before and there will be no courtship. You will do your duty as my daughter and as you say yourself, a kunoichi of this village who must do whatever it takes to protect it. You should follow your sister's example. She too is to be married off for the sake of an alliance and she handled it with the grace and strength of a true clan head's daughter. A true kunoichi who will fulfill her duty to her clan."

Kushina regained a bit of her composure, removing her hand from her cheek that was now sporting an angry red mark and rubbed the tears from her face with her wrist as she regarded her father. He'd never physically disciplined her until now. Well she wouldn't call it discipline exactly.

"Father," she said in a deadly serious tone that stunned them all. This was not the Kushina they knew. Jiro had expected her to lash out more like the spitfire she was, cry or even run away. "I am not Mito. I wish you would finally realize that. I know she has always been your favorite daughter and I look up to her very much; however, I am not her. Also, at least she is arranged to marry a shinobi who will allow her to continue being a kunoichi and he is a kind man from a clan that has close ties with us. I am to marry a feudal lord's son who will have me as a pretty caged bird for the rest of my days. But I am wiling to do anything for my clan. If there's anything I don't ever want, it'd for you to question my loyalty to this clan. Now I will excuse myself for the night."

Kushina calmly left the room, leaving her family in shock.

Mito shook her head at her parents before following her sister to their chambers.

* * *

As she came back to the present moment, the red head touched the same cheek her dear father had struck.

It had taken months of suffering and acceptance, as well as many talks with Mito, but Kushina had finally accepted her fate.

She would marry this Daisuke and sacrifice her happiness for the sake of her clan.

I _am the clan head's daughter and I am a kunoichi of Uzushiogakure,_ she repeated as a mantra in her mind for moments such as this when she felt weak. _I am trained to protect my clan and my people no matter what; to be a shinobi is to know self sacrifice for the greater good. Even if that means giving up my freedom and my life. I will do anything for my village, even give up my heart._

Kushina heard the rooster sing to the coming dawn, despite there being no rising sun visible in the storm clouds, and sighed. She knew she had to go draw a bath and get ready for a clan meeting being held at seven sharp.

The young woman once again looked to the storm clouds and the first droplets of never ending rain began to pour down in the court yard outside her window.

It seem that the weather matched the storm that was raging inside her perfectly.

With one last heavy sigh, Kushina arose from bed and began to prepare for her day, knowing she would never know freedom ever again. She was a prisoner in her own home until the year ended, and after that she would be the pretty caged wife of a noble.

She came to the conclusion that she had to harden her heart; that was the only way to block out any emotions and fulfill her duty. She would never find any happiness beyond this situation anyway.

Little did she know, the one who just may have the key to her happiness was across the ocean and thousands of miles away on the mainland, in the middle of battle.

* * *

 _So there's the first chapter. It was kind of a filler to introduce Kushina and her family as well as her situation. We'll see Minato next chapter ;)_

 _Expect an update in a few weeks' time._

 _Thank you for reading guys and please leave a review it would make my day!_

 _~Foreveralways_


	2. Blood Feud

**Hey guys so sorry I'm late with this chapter! I've been busy looking for a summer job. Gotta help pay for college somehow.:P**

 **But thanks to everyone who reviewed/liked the first chapter and are giving the story a chance :) I promise I'll do my best to not disappoint.**

 **This chapter has a little more vigor since I got to fangirl and introduce here my all time favorite character from the Naruto series- Minato Namikaze :D or as I'll be calling him in this story, Minato Senju.**

 **You know I read in an interview from 2010 where Kishi said that once he finished writing Naruto, he was interested in writing a Minato spin-off. I know he decided to do Gaiden and the next gen, but does anyone think he might still do the spin-off for Minato? Or even just a one-shot like Sakura or Kakashi Hiden? Come on Kishi, he's only a fan fav Hokage and the main character's father!**

 **Anyway I hope you guys enjoy this chapter :) please leave a review I'd appreciate it.**

 **Update: 5-30-16: sorry for being away from this story for nearly a year everyone. I had a lot of personal issues this past year, very busy college schedule plus enormous writers block for all my stories. But now that summer is back I have more free time and I plan to continue my stories. I will not abandon this story I love the plot and have much to add to it. Please bear with me! Chapter 3 will be up within this week I'm already working on it. Thanks for Your patience everyone, I promise this won't happen again.**

 **Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto. I'm just a simple fangirl writing for entertainment.**

* * *

The morning air was crisp and slightly chilly, signaling an oncoming rain.

The thick forest was eerily quiet as a group of five elite shinobi jumped from tree branch to tree branch; their pace was brisk in order to make good time. One would think their movements would be groggy or deterred from the early morning setting and cold, but these were trained ninja. Their bodies were only concerned with the task at hand, which was making a safe and orderly return home.

They had just completed a diplomatic mission of having a peace treaty signed by the Sarutobi clan and were now due to returning to the Senju village, signed treaty scroll in hand. It was to be kept away from any enemies and to be delivered directly into the clan leader's hands, Butsuma Senju.

They had been given a time frame of three days to reach the Sarutobi village, discuss terms with the young clan head, Sasuke Sarutobi, have him sign the treaty, stay for a night to accept Lord Sasuke's hospitality as a show of friendship, and then return home before midday on the third day of the mission. This was due to two reasons; first, so their group could rest for the remainder of the day and be present for an important meeting they would attend with the council that same evening. And second, for their own protection. While each member of the squad was a capable shinobi, everyone knew that second only to the dead of night, the early hours of the afternoon were the most dangerous to be wandering in the forests. Many rogues and enemy clans stalked the forests, hoping to ambush travelers on the main roads or make an example of other clans. Butsuma had wanted them to avoid detection as much as possible, for no one was to know about the treaty between the Senju and Sarutobi clans. Least of all the Uchiha.

Of course they'd set off as soon as dawn came, but that didn't completely guarantee protection either. They were to be alert for possible followers or attackers at all times. Such was the era of warring clans.

The captain of their team was Butsuma's heir and eldest son, Hashirama. He was a gifted shinobi, the only one in the clan with the legendary mokuton bloodline; he was also well known for his new ideals of peace and equality. To his left was the second in command of their squad, his younger brother, Tobirama, who was a master of water style and and the best sensory shinobi in the clan, as well as a diplomatic genius. Flanking to the left and right behind the Senju brothers are their cousin Toka, a great kunoichi and an expert genjutsu specialist, and Raiden, the most skilled general of the Senju Army. Finally, the tail of the group was their cousin Minato, who was a genius said to rival Tobirama's intellect, as well as the fastest shinobi in the clan. Perhaps, even, the fastest of their generation.

Minato's sharp eyes and speed were what had him in the back. His intense cerulean eyes were always scanning the passing tree lines for any movement. If anything where to happen, he would instantly speed to the front of the group in seconds flat in order to warn his cousins and provide them all with sufficient time to prepare for battle.

They moved at a quick but moderately normal pace. They did not wish to attract any unwanted attention if they were to go at full speed.

Besides, most of them wouldn't be able to keep up with Tobirama and Minato anyway.

The silence of the surrounding woodland was oddly comforting, yet also had all five of them tense. Usually it meant the calm before the storm.

All that was heard was the clanking of their sandals on each tree branch they glided on, the whipping of the wind by their hair, and the occasional chirping bird, signaling the passing of the early morning.

Hashirama fingered the treaty scroll that was hidden away in a sack in his armor, looking ahead, counting down the time to when they would arrive to the Senju village. Tobirama kept his eyes sharp ahead, occasionally looking over his shoulder with his smoldering crimson eyes to make sure his comrades were still behind them.

Toka and Raiden would make small talk once in a while to pass the time, but one glare from Tobirama sent them into an awkward silence, shifting their attention instead to their moving feet.

The message was clear. His glare said, _"Conversation is a distraction. And distractions will get you killed in an instant."_

Minato's entire focus was on scanning around them, careful in case any enemies or rogues were to attempt an ambush. His left hand was always right next to his weapons pouch, ready to grab one of his newly made kunai and throw them at anyone who dared to threaten his family and comrades.

 _I have to prove my worth to the clan,_ was the mantra the blond man always recited in his mind. That's what pushed him to keep his concentration on missions, no matter how exhausted he might be.

He had always been looked down on in the clan, especially by the elders. The fact that he wasn't a full blooded Senju had always been the venom they used against him.

He didn't really look like a full fledged Senju; although not as strict as the Uchiha with a common look, the Senju usually had brown, gray, or raven hair with dark or brown eyes. Tobirama's red eyes were an exception, for he inherited them from his mother, who was from a small group of Senju in the gene pool that was now less common. Those born with red eyes in the clan inherited them all the way back from their ancestor Ashura's beautiful wife; the woman who bore the first Senju into existence. Thus, those who were born with her piercing red eyes were treated with much respect.

Minato, on the other hand, had spiky blond hair, which was odd. He also had bright blue eyes; something that had never been seen on someone of Senju blood in the millennium since the clan was founded.

Now, that's not to say he didn't have any traits of the clan. He had the sharp facial features of the main family; he shared the tan skin of his cousin Hashirama. And, overall, the young man had the powerful chakra life force and physical endurance of anyone with Senju blood.

* * *

As they continued their brisk speed, the man allowed his thoughts to drift to the story of his origin his mother had told him when he was fifteen.

Minato's mother, Yoshima Senju, was the younger sister of Butsuma. She had beautiful long flowing chestnut hair, tan skin, pretty angular yet soft features and dark eyes. But there was far more to her than just her beauty; she was once one of the best kunoichi the Senju had to offer. She was able to keep up with her prodigy brother.

Her great career as a kunoichi ended, however, when she and her squad had been ambushed by a group of rogue nin over twenty years ago when they'd been on the way home from a mission.

They had defended themselves well, but in the end, they were outnumbered by the rogues, as well as still exhausted and chakra depleted from their recent mission. While Yoshima was able to take down two of the six rogues, she was stabbed in the side by one of the enemy's katanas and fell to her knees in pain, clutching her wound.

She had been rendered helpless as her comrades were slaughtered like lambs. She was sure she was moments away from falling victim to their same fate.

That is until one of the rogue nin stopped his partner from ending her life; He'd given her this chilling smirk and said something about her being a "pretty young thing and it would be a waste."

In her haze of pain and fear, the young Senju woman had attempted to crawl away. But the blood loss and chakra exhaustion didn't allow her to get more than a few feet away until she passed out into black oblivion.

When she'd regained consciousness, the Senju woman had noted that there was a large bandage over here wound. She also realized that she was stripped down to her undergarments and tied up to a bed.

The vile man who had taken an interest in her had taken her back to a desolate cabin deep in the forest. The closest thing was an old fishing village to the north.

However, the man had smiled wickedly at her, saying she was going to show him some gratitude for saving her life. She couldn't get out of her binds; she was still too chakra depleted. When she tried to scream for help, the man had laughed mockingly at her, saying she could scream all she wanted, for no one would hear her for miles.

In that cabin, Yoshima had been kept prisoner for over two weeks, where she was repeatedly raped by her captor. She never found out his name; all she remembered was that he had spiky blond hair and intense blue eyes.

When she was strong enough and her wound from the previous battle had healed, Yoshima had managed to get out of her binds by using her chakra to enhance her strength and escape one night while her captor was asleep. As soon as he had woken up to feeling his kunai being taken from his weapons pouch, he'd attempted to immobilize her. However, he had underestimated the kunoichi. She'd overpowered him and stabbed her captor in the stomach multiple times with his own kunai in a fit of rage. While he was on the floor, swearing at her and trying to stop the bleeding in his abdomen, blood pouring from his lips, she'd sprinted out of the cabin and into the night. She ran through the trees all night until she finally reached the northern village at daybreak and begged for help. She never looked back; she never found out if he survived or if he had died from wounds she inflicted on him. She'd spend the rest of her life hoping it was the latter.

An old fishermen had taken pity on the woman's story and hid her in his home and sent a messenger hawk to the Senju village per her request.

As soon as he received the letter, Butsuma, a then newly inducted clan leader following their father's demise in an Uchiha raid, dispatched his best men to go and retrieve his sister. He would not lose another family member.

Once Yoshima was returned to the clan and her brother demanded to know what had transpired, she was too traumatized to utter a word of what had happened beyond that her squad was ambushed and killed and that she had been taken captive until she'd found a way to escape.

Only a few short weeks after she was brought back to the Senju Village did the kunoichi finally break down into tears and reveal to her brother and his wife what had truly happened to her during her captivity. And she revealed another stunning piece of news; she was pregnant with that man's child.

Once the news spread like wildfire around the village, the elders had at once called for the termination of her pregnancy.

However, Butsuma had immediately intervened and said that despite the circumstances of its conception, this was a child with Senju blood. As clan leader, it was his duty to protect all those who had Senju blood, and that included his future nephew or niece. This was a sacred law passed by his grandfather in order to secure the protection of all Senju, as well as the to avoid civil wars. The council had been furious, but told Butsuma that this child would be his and his sister's responsibility. The slightest out of step by this child would result in exile.

The mother to be had hated the thing growing inside her at first; it was a permanent memory of those weeks of torture.

But as the months went on and her belly swelled, she became to grown fond of the kicking against her belly. She prayed the baby would not resemble her captor.

However, when the baby was born in the early hours of a cold January morning, Yoshima had recoiled and sobbed when she saw that her newborn son had inherited that vile man's features; his blond hair and blue eyes that mocked her in her nightmares. She refused to carry or name that man's offspring, she'd said.

Butsuma had picked up the newborn and taken him to the main house. The clan leader and his wife had taken care of the infant for the first two months of his life while his mother got her head straight. Butsuma had even chosen the boy's name; Minato Senju. The elders had been opposed to Minato carrying the clan's name, but Butsuma claimed it was his birth rite as a part of the clan leader's family. That, and he had no father to pass on a name to him.

When Minato was almost three months old, Yoshima has gathered the courage to come to the main house to finally meet her son. After having time to think, she'd come to the conclusion that the baby at least deserved a chance. At first her fear had been present when she held the infant for the first time. But when she looked into those same cobalt eyes, she didn't see mocking laughter or unspeakable desires that haunted her dreams; no, she saw a sense of curiosity and an innocence so sweet and genuine that is made her heart swell.

Tears had come to her eyes and she held her little Minato tightly, swearing to love him as he deserved to be loved and apologizing profoundly to her baby for rejecting him as soon as he had entered the world. Regardless of her hatred for the child's biological father, Yoshima would love the child, for it was hers, too. She would raise him to be a proud Senju shinobi; nothing like the foul man who sired him.

Yoshima took on fewer missions and gave up her rank as a squad leader to devote herself to raising her son. Butsuma had been a great help, being a father figure to the boy, teaching him the Senju ways, how to fight, as well as training him alongside his own sons. Hashirama and Tobirama especially had come to see him as another brother.

But that did not stop the people of the village from looking at him like some sort of outsider or demon spawn. It wasn't until Minato had begun to excel in the shinobi arts and defended his comrades that the other shinobi of the clan had began to really praise and respect him.

* * *

Minato's remembrance was cut short when he heard the deep baritone voice of General Raiden address his eldest cousin.

"Hashirama-sama," the general said cordially. "How much longer do you estimate until we reach the village?"

Hashirama turned his head slightly in Raiden's direction and flashed him a small grin. "It should be only another two hours or so, Raiden-san. Do not worry; we're making excellent time."

The general bowed his head slightly in gratitude, satisfied with his superior's answer.

The group continued to fly through the trees for a while until they felt the first drops of rain on their heads and armor. Sole twenty minute later, it switched to an all out downpour with a few bolts of lightning erupting through the once calm morning air.

Hashirama signaled for them to stop on a large tree branch that had very thick leaves above. It would provide them with some cover from the rain.

"This rain is too heavy to continue moving through, much less with the lightning," said the squad leader. "We should wait out at least half an hour for the lightning to stop."

Tobirama lowered his bag and scowled at his brother. "We cannot, Brother. Do you forget what Father ordered? We are to arrive before midday. And by the looks of it, it is at least nine in the morning. We cannot allow a little rain to-"

Minato landed on the branch, his normally spiky hair drenched by the rain and plastered to his head. He removed his headband that bared the clan symbol and ran his hand through his blond locks a few times in order to remove some of the water as he spoke. "Perhaps Hashirama is right, Tobi. We can travel in the rain, but it lessens the chance we'll be able to see any attackers properly. You can't stop at every tree to use your sensory without wasting too much time. And the lightning can be dangerous if we're moving at a constant pace. Besides, it will only take two hours to arrive at the village. Relax, we can afford to take a little break. We'll be home well before Uncle instructed us."

Tobirama huffed, removing his signature happuri as he mentally cursed at his cousin's reasoning.

The mokuton user laughed and flashed his younger cousin a smile of gratitude as he sat at the base of the branch. Toka and Raiden sat down as well.

Hashirama reached into a pouch and tossed each of his comrades a large kyoho. At their dumbfounded expressions, the clan heir simply chucked and sat cross legged, pealing the skin off his fruit. "If we're going to remain here for a while, we may as well get some energy to continue later. We barely finished breakfast before Tobi was hauling our asses out of the Sarutobi village!"

Everyone except the white haired man chuckled. He grumbled under his breath and bit into his fruit.

They all chewed and waited for the lightning to pass.

Once he was done eating, Tobirama set his pointer finger against the wet bark of the branch they were perched on, closing his eyes and concentrating. He sent out a wave of chakra in order to scan the surrounding area for other chakra signatures. After a moment, he opened his eyes and faced his comrades. "At the moment, there is no one close by. There are a few chakra signatures some miles south, but they are far too weak to be shinobi. Most likely farmers or merchants."

They all sat in companionable silence for several minutes, eating their fill and listening to the storm above.

Finally, once she finished eating, Toka broke the silence.

"So what does Uncle have for us tonight that's so important that he gave us a time limit?" questioned the kunoichi as she squeezed the rain water out of her thick brunette hair and tied it back up into a high pony tail.

"Father informed me that we were all to attend a private clan meeting tonight," answered the squad leader. "I'm not sure about the exact details, though; he said he would fill us in as soon as we arrived and reported back to him."

They all nodded in understanding.

Minato was about to finish off his last piece of fruit when he heard a noise in the background of a large thunderbolt. Once the noise of the thunder died down, he immediately got to his feet, discarding the forgotten fruit to the forest floor and got into a battle stance, alerting the other four that something was wrong.

He pulled a kunai out of his pouch. It was a new kind he'd crafted himself. It was a three pronged kunai with a steel blade and it was much more speed efficient than a regular black kunai. He had developed it once he'd mastered and altered to his own style a certain technique that Tobirama taught him.

The others immediately tensed and began preparing for battle. Tobirama instantly pulled on his happuri and pulled out eight overly sharpened regular kunai, holding four in each hand, crossing his arms over his chest like a vice. Raiden and Toka pulled out their katanas. Hashirama put his hands together, ready to summon his wood release at a moment's notice.

The blond's sharp eyes looked around the series of tall trees, trying to detect the culprit of the disturbance. It was difficult to see through the fog and heavy rain.

"Tobirama, I thought you'd said no one was near!" chided Toka through clenched teeth.

The sensory nin rolled his eyes and barked back, "That was over fifteen minutes ago! We were supposed to leave soon anyway! I knew stopping here was a mistake. Stay quiet, all of you."

He dropped a few kunai and touched the tree bark again, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply in order to focus. They snapped open at once and at lightning speed, he grabbed all his kunai again.

"Seven shinobi level chakras headed here at top speed! Based on their chakra flows, I'd say they appear to be Uchihas," he growled though his teeth.

The elder of the team gasped. "But Madara would not send random shinobi to pick us off during a mission so far away from their borders! He doesn't even-"

"Sir, with all due respect," interrupted Raiden. "Madara is not a reliable source. Besides, as you said yourself, no one else knew of this alliance mission outside the Senju. These men might have simply wandered off into our territory, wanting to pick off some Senju and impress their clan. It's happened many times before."

"What if we try to keep going?" suggested the general. "We are outnumbered and we cannot allow them to get their hands on the scroll. It is for Butsuma-sama's eyes only."

The blond haired Senju shook his head. "Raiden-san, that is not a good idea. First off, you, Hashirama and Toka may not be able to keep up with mine and Tobirama's full speed. We need to stay together. Also, we're stronger if we hold our ground. We will stand and fight. We cannot allow these men to follow us all the way to the village. Whether now or later, we will have to eliminate them before reaching home. Better it be now."

They all nodded at his point of view and stayed quiet, waiting for them to appear. Minato was a great speaker and tactician. He was often the voice of reason on missions.

"They're coming from the direction we came from," mentioned Tobirama. "They'll most likely attack us head on, knowing the fog and rain obscure our view of them. They'll most likely take advantage of that with their fucking Sharingan. Stay sharp."

All of a sudden, Minato heard a whizzing sound in the air, slicing through the fog moments after another loud roar of thunder. He tensed.

 _I know the sound of thrown shuriken anywhere._

Six zipping shuriken appeared out of the fog, heading straight for him. Minato narrowed his eyes and reacted with quick reflexes. He moved his hand rapidly, deflecting each flying shuriken with the blade of his kunai, a clanking sound echoing around as one after another bounced off the cool metal and dropped to the forest floor.

Next thing they knew, seven sharpened kunai were flying in the direction of the Senju brothers. Hashirama flew through a series of hand signs and hit his palm against the tree branch, causing a long, narrow wall of wood from the tree to spring up, protecting both himself and his brother from the kunai. The kunai all flew in and stuck to the wooden wall.

The mokuton user dropped the wall, causing the kunai to fall to the ground far below, embedding themselves into the soft wet earth.

More movement was heard among surrounding trees. Now that the lightning had finally stopped, only the heavy rain echoed around them. However, their keen hearing could more easily pick up the sound of the enemy's sandals pattering against the thick branches.

"With these mediocre attacks, I believe they are most likely trying to gage our skill levels. That, or they're just trying to intimidate us," whispered the general as he tightened his grip on his katana.

Rage bubbled deep within Toka at her companion's words and she growled.

"Come on out, you cowards!" hollered the kunoichi loud enough she was sure that the attackers could hear. "You've thrown enough of your little toys at us. You should know that shit doesn't work against shinobi of our caliber!"

Suddenly, a paper bomb was thrown onto the tree branch, instantly causing the Senju to all scatter and jump to the ground as the bomb exploded, causing the tree branch to fall. It sounded with a loud crash on the forest floor as they all huddled at the base of the tree and looked around through the shrubbery.

Finally, their pursuers landed on the ground as well, only a few feet from the Senju party. The seven men all had dark hair and eyes, milky white complexions, as well as wore heavy red or blue armor and high collars with the fan crest on the chest plate or on the back of their shirts. Tobirama had been right; they were Uchiha.

Tobirama narrowed his eyes into slits. He recognized the leader of their little party. The man with the high top knot pony tail.

"Well, well, I wasn't expecting to see you around these parts of all places, Hikaku Uchiha," he sneered. "Did Madara loosen your leash enough that you strayed too far away from home?"

Hikaku chuckled. "As sharp tongued as always, eh Tobirama? How long's it been?"

The white haired man shrugged his blue armor covered shoulders. "Maybe a month since we defeated you and your dogs by the Shrinumi Valley. It's a pity you got away that time. You really are becoming a dull bunch."

A young Uchiha soldier standing next to Hikaku hissed. "You bastards killed my brother at that valley!"

Recognition flashed across Minato's mind, although he kept his face passive and emotionless. That was the first lesson as a shinobi that Butsuma had beaten into him; emotions are a weakness. No matter what happens, never show any emotion whatsoever in front of the enemy.

Minato had seen this young man's brother at that battle; they had the same facial features and cold eyes. He'd killed that Uchiha, sticking one of his kunai into the man's throat when he'd been trying to protect Toka.

Not that he regret it.

"Well perhaps your brother wasn't as good as you thought," retorted Tobirama. "He got what he deserved."

The young man growled.

"Say that again, Senju?" In a blaze of rage, he withdrew his katana swiftly. The noise it made echoed through the forest and with it an array of sharp, unsheathing noises followed suit. The entire party had drawn their weapons, ready for a fight.

"Does your sharingan affect your hearing, Uchiha?" the red eyed Senju mocked again.

"That's enough, Tobirama," Hashirama placed a hand to his forehead and sighed. He looked with a serious expression at Hikaku. "You're outclassed, Hikaku-san, and far from your home. I suggest you keep moving. We want no trouble."

Hikaku chuckled as he activated his sharingan, the three tomoes spinning lazily in his blood red eyes as he regarded the enemy. "On the contrary. It is you who are both outnumbered and outclassed, Hashirama. Oh, and I see you brought my good friend the Yellow Flash," he sneered as he raised his katana with one arm and pointed it towards the back of the group at Minato.

Minato's narrowed eyes seemed to burn liquid fire.

He knew why Hikaku had a personal vendetta against both him and Tobirama. Two years ago, they had tag teamed during an attack on the Senju village and had combined their strengths to take down Hikaku's father, Tadashi Uchiha. Tadashi had been one of the fiercest warriors of the Uchiha clan, and Madara's father's top general. It had taken multiple water jutsus from Tobirama to slow the middle aged man down and much speed from Minato to place his explosive tags on the man's shoulders. Once they were placed, Tobirama had summoned a water prison and encased Tadashi in it while the tags exploded, ending his life. The man had been a very worthy opponent, as well as the leader of the ambush on the Senju's home.

"It was nothing personal, Hikaku-san," the blond shinobi said calmly, void of emotion. Even if they were mortal enemies, Minato, much like Hashirama, did not see the Uchiha as anything less than human. "We were defending our home. Tadashi-san was a worthy opponent-"

"Do not dare to speak my father's name, you piece of shit half breed scum!" Yelled Hikaku through clenched teeth as he prepared to lunge. "Exploding him to pieces was nothing less than inhumane. My father was given no honor in his demise. I will tear you and your cousin limb from limb for what you did! Shin," he turned to the youth next to him. "I'll start with Tobirama. You take care of this disgusting half breed. He killed your brother. The rest of you, kill these other bastards. Incapacitate Hashirama, but leave him alive; he has Senju information that could be valuable to Madara-sama and Izuna-sama."

They lunged everywhere at once.

Three Uchiha went straight for Hashirama, knowing how powerful he was. Legend had it he was on par with Madara's strength. They needed to incapacitate his ability to use wood release in order to capture him and torture him to spill the Senju's secrets.

Instantly, the Senju summoned three wood clones and he with them pitted themselves against the larger party.

Tobirama threw all his kunai at Hikaku. one cutting him across the cheek, making him growl as he charged at the white haired man. Tobirama, taking advantage of the continuous downpour, ran through a few hand seals.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" he called out as a large body of water drawn from the rain formed into a ferocious water dragon with demonic gleaming yellow eyes and huge fangs, heading straight for Hikaku.

It hit the Uchiha down hard, making him hiss in agony as blood dripped from his mouth. He quickly got to his feet, formed the seals and called out, "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A large blaze of fire blew from his mouth, hitting the second water jutsu head on. Steam clouded around for a moment as the battles continued.

Toka cast a jutsu she called Eternal Darkness on her opponent. He was engulfed in a dark eternity that made him go insane. He was caught off guard when she stabbed him through the chest, killing him instantly. She pulled her katana out of the fallen Uchiha, the rain washing away the blood on it and her armor.

Raiden went katana to katana with his opponent, flickering through hand signs with one hand, causing a large earth wall to spring up and send the Uchiha flying.

Shin charged at Minato, throwing various kunai. "Now then, Yellow Flash, let's see if you earned your title!"

Due to his mastery of Tobirama's technique the Hiraishin, and his incredible speed, opponents on the battlefield often saw nothing more than a spark of lightning and his yellow locks as Minato moved around, killing dozens instantly. That, his placement of seals and the ability to teleport with his signature kunai had given him the moniker of the "Yellow Flash of the Senju." Just like Hashirama's stamina and mokuton prowess, challenged only by Madara, gave him the title of God of Shinobi.

Shin's katana clang with two of Minato's kunai, going toe to toe for several minutes.

Minato avoided looking at the youth's eyes. He knew the consequences of doing so with the sharingan activated.

Shin dropped the katana in frustration when he realized he wasn't getting anywhere with it. He weaved through the hand signs and blew a great fire ball and the Yellow Flash.

Minato threw a kunai just beyond his enemy, instantly disappearing and teleporting behind him.

"What the-"

Shin was silenced, however, when Minato struck him in the back with his foot. The young man struggled to get to his feet, his chest heaving with anger. "Is that how you killed my brother you scum?"

The other man flipped another kunai around in his hand, eyes narrowed. "I was defending my cousin."

Another Uchiha came to Shin's aid. Together, they charged at Minato with their swords.

Minato sighed. "If you're so eager to see why I was given that title, then I have no choice then to comply." He threw another three pronged kunai passed their heads and disappeared.

With his great reflexes, he teleported close range behind both Uchihas, striking their blindside. He pulled out two more kunai stabbed both opponents, one in the throat and the other in the side. One of them gurgled on his own blood and fell to his knees, his eyes going into the back of his head as he dropped dead.

Shin clutched his wound, watching the blood ooze to the ground. His body felt heavy with the rain.

Minato moved his long soaked bangs out of his eyes as he pulled out the kunai from the other Uchiha's throat and came close to Shin.

"So that's why they call you Yellow Flash," he sneered as blood dripped from his lips. "I'm surprised you didn't slice my throat like you did my brother's."

The blond shook his head. "That would be too cruel. We may be enemies, but we're still human." He quickly ended Shin's pain, stabbing straight into the heart. The sharingan in Shin's eyes spun one more time until they faded back to black and his breathing ceased. Minato sighed and gently closed Shin's eyes as he removed his weapon from his bloody corpse. He got to his feet and looked around. Two Uchihas were now dead by his hand. One by Toka's eternal darkness. Another was finished off by General Raiden, although Raiden seemed to have been stabbed in the thigh by his opponent's sword. He was bleeding.

Hashirama had done away with one of his opponents. Now only Hikaku and one other Uchiha were left. Hikaku was still locked in a heated battle with Tobirama, katana to katana.

Minato teleported next to Hashirama. "Do you have a plan?"

The Senju heir nodded, running through a few hand seals. "Get Hikaku and his comrade into one area. I'll incapacitate them. We need to know if Madara and Izuna sent them."

Minato nodded, throwing another kunai, appearing next to Hikaku's comrade and knocked him down.

Tobirama, quickly catching onto his older brother's plan, formed some seals and shot a large spew of water from his mouth, pushing Hikaki back several feet and not allowing him to see. Tobirama looked to Hashirama and nodded for him to proceed.

Hashirama finished the last hand seal. "Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"

Two large wooden pillars erupted from the ground, encasing both Hikaku and his friend. Minato kicked away their weapons. They were now rendered helpless.

"Let me go! You dirty bastards, let us go! This is an act of a coward!" Hikaku yelled as he struggled against the wood's tight grip.

Hashirama approached him. "No, you attacking us for no justifiable reason in our territory is an act of cowardice. Now tell me, Hikaku-san. Did Madara or his brother send you after us?"

The man laughed. "No. We were off duty today and were wandering around the borders. We sensed your chakra miles away. it was the perfect opportunity to avenge my father. But you assholes are too hard to kill." He tried to spit in Hashirama's face, but couldn't summon the strength. He was wounded and too chakra depleted. His eyes faded to their normal color.

He watched as Tobirama walked up to his last remaining comrade and struck his katana cleanly through the man's chest, killing him instantly. Tobirama removed his sword from the corpse and looked at Hikaku.

"So it was a fruitless act of vengeance. Well, we have no more use for this scum. I say we send his head back to Madara and Izuna as a warning."

"Tobirama!" Hashirama barked. "They had nothing to with this! It was Hikaku's own doing. I suggest we let him go-"

"Are you insane?" Tobitama and Toka yelled at the same time.

Minato stepped in, always the peace keeper between his cousins. "Hashi, I understand you want to send him back as a show of good faith to Madara. But if we do, it'll send a message to all other Uchiha who have a personal vendetta against us and other Senju that it's okay to come and attack us in our own borders during our missions. Plus, he's already wounded badly. I don't see him surviving the night. We need to end his suffering. We also need to get back home quickly; it's getting late and Raiden-san is wounded, we need to get him a medic. You can help him, but he needs proper medical attention."

Hashirama looked sad but nodded, seeing the reason in his cousin's words. He pulled out a kunai from his belt. "I'll do it," he stated before Tobirama could volunteer.

He stepped up to Hikaku, sadness and regret shining in his almond eyes. "Forgive me, Hikaku-san. May Kami rest your soul."

"Shove your apology and good wishes up your ass," sneered the half dead man.

Hashirama ignored his reply and sliced cleanly across the man's throat, ending his life quickly and painlessly. Hikaku's eyes closed as blood poured from his open throat and mouth until he slumped down against his wooden prison.

The God of Shinobi sighed sadly as he put his kunai back in his weapons pouch and released the wooden encasings, allowing the two bodies to rest on the ground. He then turned to his general.

"Raiden-san, are you alright?"

Raiden bit on his teeth as Hashirama began flowing some healing chakra into the wound, mending some of the damage. "I-its's deep, Hashirama-sama. But with your help I should be alright until we return to the village."

Hashirama nodded. Once he healed as much as he could of the wound, he cut off a piece of his under shirt and tied it around the area. He helped Raiden stand. He paused to look around at the scourged earth, blistering pieces of wood sticking out of the ground, the mangled and bloody bodies and scattered weapons.

The rain washed away most of the blood, as if attempting to cleanse the earth of its pain. Pain it had endured for countless generations now.

He looked to his comrades; they were all covered in specs of blood not washed away by the rain with a few cuts and bruises, minus Raiden who was injured; they were each soaked to the bone, exhausted, and eager to go home.

He closed his eyes for a moment, sending a silent prayer to Kami for the departed Uchihas' souls, then addresses his squad. "This was an unfortunate turn of events. What was supposed to be a simple and peaceful diplomatic mission turned into a slaughter. I am sorry. Let's get home now. We'll have to move quickly, for we've wasted an hour here already. Toka, please help Raiden-san."

Toka nodded as she sheathed her katana and allowed Raiden to put some of his weight on her. He nodded to her in gratitude and slung one arm around her shoulders to steady himself as they took off into the trees once more. Hashirama and Tobirama took their position in the front again. Minato retrieved all his kunai and put them back into his paoch as he eyed their former battlefield once more and took off after his comrades.

Only one clear thought was present in his mind for the rest of the journey.

 _When will this blood fued end? How many more have to die?_

* * *

A few hours later, albeit a bit past midday, the rain had finally stopped, leaving only a muggy and humid feeling in the air as the five shinobi finally entered the Senju village.

It was a moderately large area with a high wooden fence surrounding it entirely, with Senju guards on the look out for enemies 24/7. it was deep in a lush forest, the enormous trees providing protection. They were the Senju of the Forest for a reason.

There were many structures inside the village; a small school where young Senju were schooled and trained, a few bath houses, a large dining area for the soldiers, a blacksmith shop, a medical center for the wounded or ill, the barracks where servants and most low level soldiers slept, the houses of both civilians and higher ranking shinobi, the council meeting hall where clan meetings were held, an oasis and a few gardens. On the outskirts of the village were the crop fields and training grounds. In the center of the village was a large and luxurious housing; it housed the clan leader and the members of his family, as well as a few of his top shinobi.

They all sighed with relief to be back within the Senju walls, exhaustion written all over their faces. As they walked through the village to drop Raiden off at the medical center so the healers could tend to him properly, many people stopped and bowed politely or greeted the clan head's sons and nephew and niece and the top general with respect.

After dropping Raiden off to be tended to, the remaining four entered the main compound and went to Butsuma's study.

A Senju guard was posted outside the door as he bowed to them. "Hashirama-sama, it is always a pleasure. Butsuma-same is in meeting as we speak with Captain Zhao. You may go in shortly. He said no interruptions unless it was your arrival."

Hashirama gave him a tired smile. "Thank you, Lee-san. We'll go in in a moment."

* * *

"And that's the full report I was given, my lord."

Butsuma hummed as his aged eyes wandered over the faded map that rested on his desk. His captain had just received the preliminary reports from their main scouting team. The Fire Daimyo had commissioned the Senju clan to track and hopefully eliminate a band of Mist shinobi that had been sighted on their territory. A simple mission, but the Mist shinobi were considered calculating and dangerous. They were renowned for being ruthless. The Lord, however, heard of the Senju clan's highly skilled shinobi and had sent word to Butsuma to put together a team and handle the problem.

The scouting team was to be made up of three skilled shinobi and a medic. They couldn't plan an attack yet, because they had to at least perform a reconnaissance and assess the ability and aptitude of these so called ruthless enemies. All four returned without a scratch and were able to obtain a detailed description of the shinobi plus even predict their movements. The Daimyo would at least pay them for this success, but Butsuma knew the clan needed the reward for actually killing these rogues. The next step was to predict their movements, pinpoint their next location within the week, and send the team out again to eliminate them with a strategy. It had to be a silent assassination mission without causing havoc in the Daimyo's domain.

A mighty hand lifted to rest on a chiseled chin. Butsuma Senju was considered a prodigy, one of the best leaders the Senju clan had ever seen. It was Butsuma who was able to defend them from countless Uchiha, coordinated the tactics to greatly defend their home from the infamous invasion two years prior, and was working to create stable treaties with both the Uzumaki and Sarutobi clans. It was Butsuma who was able to stabilize the economy and earn money from commissions from other feudal lords. He also introduced trade outside the clan. Each clan needed its own way to sustain itself, a particular trade that they could sell off to the other clans to make money, overall for civilian clansmen.

As Butsuma was considered a highly regarded shinobi, many worshiped him. And for that reason, he needed to keep the clan going, to earn that respect and hold his position.

A knock at the door interrupted his thought process.

Butsuma sighed, clearly annoyed. "Who is it?" he barked.

The door was opened slightly ajar, revealing the slightly battered and tired face of his eldest son. "Forgive me for the interruption, Father. We've successfully returned with the treaty signed by Sasuke-sama Sarutobi."

The clan leader nodded and turned to his captain. "Thank you for your report, Captain. Have the team report to me in an hour to coordinate a strategy. Dismissed."

The captain bowed to his leader, rolled up the map and exited the room as Hashirama and his team piled in.

Butsuma sat down at his desk, rubbing his temples. "Where the fuck have you all been?! I said be here by mid day, it is well passed that! And where is General Raiden?"

Tobirama calmly answered. "Forgive us, Father. We were ambushed by a group of seven Uchiha shinobi, led by Hikaku Uchiha."

The elder's eyes snapped open and he glared at his second born. "Hikaku? You mean Tadashi's brat?!"

Tobirama nodded in confirmaton.

"Tell me what happened." It was more of a command than a request.

Tobirama told his father of what transpired, of their stopping for the thunder to pass, the ambush by the Uchiha, Hikaku's revenge plot despite not being sent by Madara, killing all seven Uchiha, Raiden's injury and their having to leave him at the healers', and their arrival with the peace treaty.

"Damn Uchiha," he muttered under his breath. "No matter. I'm glad you disposed of him, Hashirama," he praised his heir. "One less revenge to worry about. Now, the scroll?"

Hashirama reached into his pouch, which had protected the scroll from the rain fairly well, and handed the treaty to his father. Butsuma opened it and read over the terms again, stopping when his eyes fell on Sasuke Sarutobi's signature. A rare yet genuine smile crossed his lips as he rolled it back up and placed the peace treaty securely in a drawer in his desk. He then sat back down and crossed his arms over his muscled chest as he regarded his sons, nephew and niece by marriage.

"Well done. You may all go rest and get something to eat. Be at the council building at seven sharp tonight in your most formal clothing. It is time we discuss another important alliance we are making."

Hashirama and Toka both nodded, bowing to the clan head and exited the premesis. Tobirama raised an eyebrow at his faher's choice of words but turned and left as well to go get cleaned up.

Minato bowed and was about to leave when his uncle lifted a hand, signaling for him to stay put as Tobirama shut the doors behind him.

Puzzled, the blond man turned around. "Yes, Uncle?"

Butsuma said nothing; he simply locked his eyes on his nephew's. They simply stared at each other for a few long moments.

Finally, Butsuma broke the silence as he leaned forward in his chair, proping his arms up on the table. "You do know what next week is, do you not, Minato?"

The younger man looked down in slight sorrow, nodding his head. How could he forget? It was the anniversary of his mother's death. The day she died protecting him during battle. It was her ultimate act of maternal love, she had said to him in her final moments.

The clan head remembered his dear sister for a moment until he spoke again. "Look at me, boy."

Minato met his uncle's steely gaze head on, not flinching at all. This made Butsuma smirk in pride; most people were far too intimidated to look the clan head in the eyes. But not his boys; Hashirama and Tobirama never had a problem with it. And neither did his nephew, whom he considered a son, especially after the deaths of his two youngest sons years ago.

"You look just like your mother," he commented nostalgically. "You have that fucker's hair and eyes, but that's where it ends. The rest of you is all Yoshima; your face, your smile, your nose, the color of your skin, the shape of your eyes, that determination in your eyes when you go into battle. And overall, you have her spirit. That's what made her one of the finest kunoichi this clan have ever produced, and that's what's shaping you to be one of its finest shinobi, half breed shit be damned. To have the spirit to prove wrong anyone who doubts you, to go into battle without batting an eye. That's what makes you a Senju. You, boy, are your mother's son, through and through."

Minato's eyes widened in surprise. Ever since his mother's death, his uncle hadn't even uttered her name. It was far too painful to have lost the last remaining member of his first family. Plus Butsuma was rarely one to give compliments or speak emotionally.

The younger man bowed his head nonetheless, not allowing the sting of tears at the back of his eyes to form. "Arigatou, Uncle."

"My sister would be proud of you. She raised you as she wanted you to be; a proud Senju warrior. Not a bastard like _him_. Now go get some rest. We will be discussing yours and your cousins' next assignment tonight."

Before exiting, Minato looked to his uncle again. "What assignment? I don't mean to be rude, Uncle, but we just finished a mission."

Butsuma sighed as he grabbed a pen to begin writing a letter of gratitude to the Sarutobi clan.

He replied nonchalantly, waving off so his nephew would leave.

"You will receive details tonight. But so you'll leave me be, I will tell you this; in a week's time, I am sending you and your cousins to Uzushiogakure."

* * *

 **So since the first chapter was dedicated to Kushina, her family and her story, I decided to dedicate this one to my anime husbando Minato ;)**

 **lol**

 **But I hope you guys enjoyed it. Please tell me if the fight scene was alright, it's the first time I've written one in a Naruto fanfic. I looked up some of the jutsus and these characters' separate abiltities so I hope I didn't butcher them too much.**

 **It was also to give a more real feel that this is set in the Warring States Era.**

 **The fruit Hashirama gave everyone is a Japanese type of grape, sometimes has to be pealed.**

 **Also, due to some language, gory scenes, dark themes such as Minato's origin, and future MinaKushi smut ;) (I can't resist), I'm moving this story's rating up to M.**

 **Nice little cliffhanger there. Minato will be off to the Land of Whirlpools so the lovers can meet ;)**

 **Thanks for your patience guys. I hope Hashirama and Tobirama are written okay, their characters are extremely difficult for me to write, especially Tobirama.**

 **Please leave a review :)**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **-Foreveralways**


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